Tamper backfilling mechanism



Dec. 28, 1943. v. s. PENOTE TAMPER BACKFILLING MECHANISM Fil ed Nov. 25. 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- VIA/CENT .5. P/VOTE. I

Dec. 28, 1943.

v. s. PENOTE TAMPER BACKFILLING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 25, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm Rb QRMN MN De c. 28, 1943. v. s. PENOTE TAMPER BACKFILLING MEGHAfIISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 25, 1941 INVENTOR.

V/A/CENT 5. PEA/0T5 2'3 Patented Dec. 28, 1943 TAMPER BACKFILLING MECHANISM Vincent S. Penote, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor. to g The Cleveland Trencher Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 25, 1941, Serial No. 420,382

3 Claims.

Thi invention relates to a tamper and back-. filling machine and particularly to a tamping mechanism for compacting earthwork fills. The improved tamping apparatus with which the present invention is concerned is arranged to efiiciently and effectively compact the filled earth following the back-filling of a trench, in. the bottom of which a pipe line or conduit had been placed. This, therefore, is the general object of the present invention.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for back-filling a trench in which a pipe or other conduit has been laid, and simultaneously compacting or tamping the earth in the filled trench Without damage to the positioned conduit and in an efficient and economical manner.

Heretofore considerable difiiculty has been encountered in compacting back-filled material in conduit trenches, particularly in instances where the conduit is comparatively large in diameter. It has been found that the forms of apparatus used in the past were inefficient, in .that they failed to satisfactorily compact the back-filled material. At times the inefficiency of such apparatus resulted in shifting of the conduit line in the trench with attendant breakage or damage to the line. In most instances the visible surface of the filled trench did not disclose the defective condition of the back-filled material. However, water collected in the defective portions of the fill adjacent the bottom of the trench, forming cavities which permitted the conduit to sag or shift. Likewise, after a lapse of time insufiicient compacting of the fill has resulted in surface cave-ins which obviously are a source of constant danger. Hence, a more specific object of this invention is to provide a tamping apparatus which will so compact the back-filled material as to eliminate the hazards above-mentioned.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved gravity type tamping apparatus for the purposes mentioned, and in which a comparatively heavy tamper may be used without danger of damaging or shifting the previously laid conduits during tamping operations.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tamping apparatus which is so constructed and arranged as to resist damage to the apparatus by vibratory effects of its operation and therebyincrease the life of the apparatus.

It is a purpose of the present invention to mount on one vehicular frame a plurality of tamping units and so construct and arrange these tamper units relative to the direction of travel of the apparatus.

Other objects, features and advantages of, this invention will become more apparent from the following description, reference being-had to the accompanying drawings. The essential and novel features. oi'the invention will be summarized in the'claims. y

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved back-ruler and tampmg machine; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation-of the machine; big. '3' is an enlargedplan viewof the tampmg apparatus itself, certain portions thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate the internal construction of the apparatus; Fig. 4 is a sectional view sub stantially on the same scale as Fig.3, the plane of the section being indicatedby the lines 4-4.

on Fig. 1, and Fig. 51s a fragmentary sectional detail, the plane of the section being indicated by thelinB-fi onFig.3.- Y

The improved tamper and back-filler mechanism comprises in general a vehicular frame It]- supported solely by and between a pair of spaced tractor belts II. A source of power such as the internal combustion motor, generally indicated at l2 in Fig. 1 is mounted on the forward end of the frame If] and is connected to thetractor belt in the usual manner to propel, the machine. Immediately to the rear of this motor is an'operators seat i4, and a tiltable boom l5. Abackfilling scraper i6 is attached to the boom-and frame by a pair of operating cables I1 and i8.

The cable ll passes from the scraper over a sheave 19 at the upper'end of the boom'toa suitable winding drum mounted on the frame l0, while the cable l8 extends from the scraper directly to a second winding drum on the frame, both drums being power driven from thermotor l2. Suitable controls are providedto'enable actuation of the scraper in the usual manner. A more complete description of the scraper and its power operating mechanism may be had by ref- .erence to Patent No. 1,947,356, issued to A. J.

Penote, February 13, 1934, and, hence, will not be described in detail here.

The tamper mechanism with which the present invention is particularly concerned is generally indicated at it, and is pivotally mounted on a vertical post 2i positioned outside the outline of the tractor belts and intermediate the ends thereof, as indicated in Fig. 1. The lower end of the post 2! is secured a at 22 to a portion or the frame it? which extends outwardly between the upper and lower stretches of the left hand tractor belt ll. Suitable braces 223 are interconnected between the post 2! and the frame i to give strength and stability to the post.

The tamper mechanism is mounted on a tamper frame it which is carried at the outer end of a supporting frame 36, the inner end of which is pivoted on the post 2!. The tamper frame supports a plurality of tampers A, B, C, and D. The arrangement is such that the tamper mechanism is pivoted on the post to swing as a unit from the full line or operating position shown in Fig. l to the dotted line or idle position, the latter be ing the transporting position.

The supporting frame preferably comprises a girder-like construction including upper and lower structural members, such as the channels 33, joined together by suitable cross bracing 35. The inner end of each channel 33 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin is carried in bracket members which are secured to the post 2!. Extending diagonally across and between the outer ends of the supporting frame members 33, Figs. 3 and 4, is an elongated box-like structure comprising the tamper frame 18. The latter comprises a pair of spaced lower sill members M which are secured to the lower member 33 and a series of upper frame members 42 which are secured to andsuspended from the member 33. The members ii and d2 are spaced Vertically by uprights c3 and horizontally by cross beams, some, of which are shown at Ml in Fig. 3. This box-like construction supports the tampers, A, B, C, and I), together with their actuating mechanism.

As indicated in the drawings, each tamper comprises a vertically extending bar or plank preferably made of wood as indicated at 25. Secured to the lower end of each plank 25 is a tamper foot comprising a weighted member 45 which is secured to the plank by suitable brackets 4?. Each tamper bar is mounted for reciprocation in a vertical direction in the rectangular frame 48 and extends through slotted openings as in the transverse frame members 64.

Each vertically reciprocating tamper plank is guided against sidewise movement by two pairs of spaced rollers to (Fig. l) mounted on shafts 5| which are carried near the upper and lower ends of the vertical frame members Each tamper bar is guided against mover ent longitudinally of the frame it by upper and lower pairs of rollers such as those indicated at 52 in Fig. 5, as being supported by shafts 53 mounted on the vertical frame members 43. To avoid undue complication of the drawings, only one each of the rollers Eiii and 52 has been indicated on Fig. 3. I

The tamper bars are alternately raised and permitted to fall by gravity to the surface to be tamped. As shown in the drawings, the tamper bars are mounted in pairs, the bars for tampers l3 and D being mounted adjacent the forward end of the frame Q8 and the bars for tampers A and C adjacent the rearward end of such frame and in such a manner that the bears of each pair lie in substantially the same transverse vertical plane.

Each tamper bar is raised by a pair of segmental gripping drums b8 between which the bar extends as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. These drums Eiil are semi-cylindrical in form and are drivingly secured to spaced parallel shafts 8! which are journalled at their opposite ends in posts the lower ends of which are pivotally mounted as at 63 to brackets t4 carried by the frame members ll. Each pair of shafts til is resiliently drawn together by a spring 55 which extends between the respective pair of posts 62 as illustrated in Fig. 4. The approach of the shafts to each other is limited by a limiting device iii which extends between the upper ends of the respective pair of posts 92, one of these devices being shown in cross section in Fig. 3. Such limiting device comprises a socket member H which is pivotally secured as at T2 to one of the arms 62, and a threaded stud it, which is pivotallysecured as at 'M to the other arm of the pair. This threaded stud extends into the unthreaded socket H and carries an adjustable limiting nut E5 which coacts with the end 16 of the socket.

The position of one of the posts 62 of each pair is adjustably controlled by an adjustably extensible link H. which extends between such post and a frame member l8 as indicated in Fig. l.

Rotation of the shafts iii in the direction of the arrows of Fig. 4 causes the segmental drums to rotate and to raise the tamper bars until the drum segments are aligned with narrow sections E8 of the bars, in which position the segments will no longer grip the associated bars but will permit the bars to fall by gravity to accomplish the tamping operation. Continued rotation of the segments causes them again to grip the associated bars and thus produce continuous alternate raising and falling operations. A more complete description of the adjustability and advantages of this particular arrangement for supporting the gripping segments may be had by reference to Patent No. 1,889,810 issued December 6, 1932, to A. J. Penote. he construction there shown being substantially identical to that here described.

It will be noted that in the present invention each pair of shafts 6! supports two pairs of drums or segmental grippers lid, one pair of drums coacting, for instance, with the tamper B and the other pair with the aligned tamper D. It will be noted, however, that the segmental drums of one pair are mounted on the shafts 180 from the drums of the other pair so that as one tamper, for instance the tamper B, is rising the other tamper D will fall. The segmental drums for the tampers A and C, while being spaced 180 on their shafts from each other, are also spaced 90 from those which actuate the tempers l3 and D, so that the order of the raising movement the operation of the bars are in alphabetical sequence, that is, A, B, C, and D. This results in an even distribution of power required and an elimination of much of the vibration ordinarily found in gravity devices of this general character.

The drum shafts 61 are driven by a motor 80, preferably of the-internal combustion type and which is mounted on a platform carried by the frame 553. This motor is drivingly connected by a drive chain, 821 with a shaft 83 which is J'ournalled in suitable bearings supported by the frame 30 and carries on its outer end a sprocket 84, Figs. 3 and 4. A driving chain 85 is looped around this sprocket as shown in Fig. 4, and extends up and over a sprocket wheel 86 secured to one of the shafts 6| of a pair, thence down and around a sprocket wheel 81 secured on the other shaft SI of that pair, thence around an idler sprocket 88 suitably journalled at the rearmost end of the frame and thence back to the sprocket wheel 84. A take-up sprocket 89 mounted on an arm 90 which is provided with a chain take-up spring, not shown, but which is usual in constructions of this type, maintains the chain 85 taut. Thus, it will be seen that the rearmost pairs of drums are rotated in opposite directions to intermittently raise their respective tamper bars.

The forward pairs of bar-raising drums are driven from the shafts 6| of the rearward pairs. As shown in the drawings, the rearmost shaft BI is provided with a sprocket I which is drivingly connected with a sprocket I0! on the corresponding shaft 6I of the forward pair of shafts by a driving chain I02. Similarly, the other shaft 6| of the rearmost pair is provided with a sprocket I03 which i drivingly connected with a sprocket I04 on the foremost shaft 6| by a drive chain I05.

When the machine is being transported from place to place, the tamper bars are locked in their raised position by cams H0. One of these cams is shown in Fig. 5, where it will be noted that it comprise an ccentric roller III keyed to a shaft H2, extending between the upright frame members 43, there being one such shaft for each tamper bar. It will be seen from Fig. 5 that upward movement of the bars is unretarded while downward movement results in a wedging action. The cam shaft H2 are rotated to swing their cams into wedging engagement with the respective tamper bars by means of tension springs H3, each of which is secured at one end to the side sills 4| and at the other end to an arm H4 pinned to the respective shaft. The locking cams may be manually disengaged by means of a linkage system operated by a handle H5, Fig. 2, pivoted on the frame 30 convenient to the operator. A link H6 has an over-dead-center attachment to the handle at oneend and at the other end is pinned to one arm of a bellcrank II'I pivoted on the frame 30. The other arm of the bellcrank is linked, as at H3, to an arm H9 fixed to a rocker shaft I20 extending transversely of the tamper frame. Also fixed to the rocker haft are four arms I2I which are linked, as at I 22, to cranks23 upon the individual cam shafts I I2. While the tampers are in operation the handle H5 is turned past dead center, maintaining these various links in tension and thus holding the locking cams out of engagement. Upon completing the tamping operation, however, the handle is released and the springs I I3 are thereby allowed to swing their cams against the respective tamper bars 45. As the drums 60 continue to revolve, each tamper in turn completes its next succeeding upward movement and is maintained in its upward position by its respective cam N0, the narrow portions I9 of the tamper bars preventing any further lifting by the drums. The motor 80 may then be stopped and the tamper frame swung about the pivots 34 to its traveling position behind the back-filler, as shown in Fig. 1.

It is to be particularly noted that the foremost pair of tamper B and D, which first coact with the filled material, are spaced transversely in the tamper frame 40, while the rearmost pair of tampers A and C are so positioned that their tamper feet 46 are as close together as is practicable by flattening their opposing surfaces as has been found that such order of tamping results in a highly efficient compacting of the fill and the elimination of damage to the conduit and other disadvantages heretofore mentioned.

The importance of the relationship of the tampers one to the other and to the back-filling mechanism which controls the direction of travel of the apparatus thus become obvious. In the present arrangement the backfiller being forward of the tamper mechanism insures the tamping of the fill adjacent the sides of the trench by the spaced pair of tampers and the subsequent tamping of the central portion of the trench by the other tampers.

I claim:

1. In a tamper machine, a vehicular frame adapted and arranged to travel longitudinally relative to a back-filled trench, a supplemental frame supported by said vehicular frame, a pair of tampers carried by said supplemental frame, said tamper being spaced apart in a direction transverse relative to the direction of progress of said machine to compact the fill adjacent the sides of the trench, a second pair of tampers supported by said supplemental frame and spaced rearwardly from the first-named pair of tampers relativ to the normal direction of travel of said machine along the trench, the tampers of said last-named pair of tampers being positioned relatively close together transverse of the trench and arranged and adapted to tamp the central portion of the fill, and a support for said supplemental frame having one end extending across the supplemental frame intermediate said pairs of tampers and having its opposite end connected to said vehicular frame.

2. In a tamper mechanism, a vehicular frame, a substantially rectangular tamper frame, a support for said tamper frame having one end thereof secured to and extending diagonally across said tamper frame toward said vehicular frame and having its other end pivotally connected to said vehicular frame, and a plurality of pairs of tampers reciprocably mounted in said tamper frame, each pair being spaced longitudinally from each other pair and positioned substantially equidistant from said support.

3. In a tamper mechanism, a substantially rectangular vehicle frame, a substantially rectangular tamper frame, a substantially vertically extending planar supportfor said tamper frame having one end thereof secured to and extending diagonally across said tamper frame and having its other end pivotally connected to said vehicular frame and a plurality of pairs of tampers reciprocably mounted in said tamper frame, power means carried by said support and a driving connection between said power means and said tampers arranged and adapted to reciprocate said tampers sequentially,

VINCENT S. PENOTE. 

